Luctonians 23
Sheffield T 36
TIGERS secured their league status for next season with an excellent all-round performance.
Both sides had plenty of vocal support and it made for an entertaining game, with Tigers outscoring their hosts by five tries to three.
Chris Pond opened the scoring for Tigers, with Mark Ireland converting.
However Matt Hackley touched down for Lucs almost from the restart.
And when Guy Kirkby added their second on 25 minutes, Louis Silver converting, they looked as if they were going to dominate proceedings.
Ireland knocked over a penaltyfor the Tigers, but Lucs went in half-time ten points ahead after Joe Doyle scored following an excellent passage of play, Silver added the extras and Lucs were looking good for a home win.
Lee Monks, for Tigers, was the game changer in the second half as he and his side's determination to get a result put Lucs under pressure.
TEAMS
LUCTONIANS: Doyle; Hearle; Kelly; Hodnett; Crowley; Jones T; Silver: Powell; Kirkby; White; Morell; Hutchinson; Hackley; Smith; Jones (S). Replacements: Street; Watkins; Monkley; Tawfik; Jones L
SHEFFIELD TIGERS: Swatkins; Broadley; Wallace; Buchanan; Pond; Ireland; Holmes: Bennett; Coates; Bingham; Langan; Leeming; Wragg; Sullivan; Walker.
Replacements: Thornton; Gelsthorpe;Townsend;Monks; Dunn
REFEREE: Ben Davis
ATTENDANCE: 409
Star man
Lee Monks – Sheffield
They succumbed to tries from ever-reliable Peter Swatkins, soon followed by Ryan Holmes, Ireland again kicking the conversions.
Despite Tom Jones's long-range drop goal, which kept Lucs in with a shout at 23-24, Tigers scored again through James Broadley (Ireland again converting) and were deserved winners.
They contained Lucs in the final phases to allow them to celebrate in some style at the final whistle.
